For a few days I tried to quit eating meat cold turkey (har har), but that didn't work at all. I could tell immediately that there were gaps in my nutrition that I wasn't filling properly, and I quickly realized that this is going to be a more involved process. So although I've cut down on my animal product consumption, I haven't stopped eating it completely yet. Even though I've done a lot already, I feel like I still have a ton of research and reading to do before I will be fully prepared to make the switch. My cousin Tara, who is a vegan, recently lent me a ton of her videos and books so I can learn as much as I can. And hopefully in the next month or so I plan to visit my doctor to talk through everything with her and also get a blood panel done. Then I am going to try the 30-Day Vegan Challenge, which basically walks you through being a vegan for an entire month, day by day. Afterward I'll go back to my doctor to discuss how I feel and get another blood panel to see if there are any changes. After all, the most important reason I am considering this lifestyle is for the health benefits, so I want to make absolutely sure that I am physically doing the right thing.
But in the meantime I'm still making some baby steps. For the first time ever I bought a package of tofu at the grocery store and made something with it! I have to say that white, juicy block of curd looked pretty unappetizing when I opened the package, but once I cooked it in a pan with soy and teriyaki sauce and then added it to stir-fry vegetables I actually ended up with a yummy dinner that I enjoyed eating much more than if it were to have chicken breast in it.
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| My dinner: vegetable stir-fry with tofu. |
One thing I'm learning is that if I choose to become a vegetarian I am definitely going to create more work for myself. Stewart will still be eating meat (and I'm the cook at our house), so most often I'll have to cook a second meal just for him. I experienced this last night for the first time but it actually wasn't too much extra work... just a few more pans.
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| Stew's dinner: teriyaki marinated flank steak with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. |
If you're interested, I'll be sure to continue to update everyone on my progress!
I've been a vegetarian for 17 years (um...wow) - so I don't remember it being a hard change for me. Inspector Climate eats meat, but only a little bit and only if it is organic.
ReplyDeleteI think settling in slowly is a really good way to go :)
Good job, i still haven't cooked with tofu!
ReplyDeleteBe careful how much tofu you eat! Soy isn't good for women. Studies have shown it can affect thyroid functioning and is a phytoestrogen, meaning it has properties that are estrogen-like but coming from a plant. People who eat a lot of soy, like in milk or tofu, can have their blood level of isoflavones as much as 10,000 times higher than those who do not consume soy! If you have too many isoflavones in the body it can be toxic to organs that are sensitive to estrogen, like the breasts, uterus, and thyroid. Plus, it's usually genetically-modified. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteI know I sound super scientific but I did this cleanse last year that banned soy and so I learned a lot about why not to eat it. It scared me!!
good job! do your own research b/c as i've learned, there is a ton of stuff out there that is just WRONG info! learned this by becoming vegetarian and also breastfeeding, so much stuff out there on that too that is wrong! omg! lol
ReplyDeleteThanks for your advice, girls! I'll definitely be doing a ton of research because I am thinking of switching mainly for the health benefits, so I absolutely want to have all of the information! :-)
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